Former Minister and senior YSR Congress leader Ambati Rambabu launched a sharp attack on TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, accusing him of being the main reason for delays and damages to the Polavaram project. Speaking to the media here on Monday, Ambati exposed Chandrababu’s lies, corruption, and inefficiency, which he claimed had transformed the ambitious project into a symbol of mismanagement and deceit.
He lambasted Chandrababu Naidu for spreading falsehoods during his visit to Polavaram, calling it a desperate attempt to mislead the people. He dismissed Chandrababu’s claim of completing 72 percent of the project during his tenure as baseless and said that the so-called progress was nothing but an illusion created through fake milestones and propaganda.
“Chandrababu Naidu compromised on project quality and timelines by agreeing to outdated 2013-14 rates just to pocket commissions, ultimately stalling the project and causing long-term damage,” he alleged.
The former minister accused Chandrababu Naidu of negligence, particularly in construction of diaphragm wall. He pointed out that Chandrababu failed to divert the Godavari’s river flow before building the wall, which led to its collapse during floods. Ambati said that even international experts had confirmed this critical error, which had not only delayed the project but also imposed an additional financial burden of Rs. 900 crores on the state to reconstruct the diaphragm wall.
Ambati further criticized Chandrababu Naidu for diverting Rs. 12,150 crores sanctioned by the central government for Polavaram. “Instead of utilizing these funds for the project, Chandrababu misappropriated them, leaving the project in a shambles. His inefficiency turned Polavaram into his personal ATM, as even Prime Minister Modi had once remarked,” Ambati stated.
Highlighting a new conspiracy, Ambati accused Chandrababu Naidu of colluding with the central government to reduce Polavaram’s height from the originally planned 45.72 meters to 41.15 meters. He alleged that this was a deliberate move to avoid the ₹30,000 crore rehabilitation and resettlement costs for displaced families. “If the height is reduced, Polavaram will be reduced to a mere barrage, depriving Andhra Pradesh of its promised benefits. Chandrababu Naidu is directly supporting this betrayal,” he said.
Ambati also criticized Chandrababu Naidu for stalling central government approvals during the TDP-BJP alliance. “It was Jagan Mohan Reddy’s determination that secured the release of Rs. 12,150 crores from the central government. Chandrababu’s attempts to block these efforts for political reasons were shameful,” he added.
